TJ Pruitt
February 6-8, 2015 was the 2nd Annual Southern Big Buck Nationals at No Problem Raceway located in Belle Rose, LA. Over 150 racers were in attendance all three days. Big money was given out, plenty of win lights were turned on, and as usual, a good time was had by all.
Friday started things off with a test and tune and all-run gambler’s race. The No Box and Box cars were kept separate until 8 cars. Slate Cummings would come out on top in the final round over Jimmy Farmer, out of Texas. They were identical .003 on the tree, but Slate went down there and grabbed eight thousandths of win stripe to turn on the win light in the final. Cummings went 4.463 on his 4.44 dial to beat Farmer who was 6.121 on his 6.09 dial.
On Saturday was Day 2, and the competion was close. In the Box class, 90 entries showed up for first round of eliminations. When all was said and done, Phillip Pennington out of Texas, and Wayne Henry out of Louisiana was in the final round. Pennington had a .008 reaction time and went 4.712 on his 4.69 to pick up the $5,000 check on Saturday. Henry was .010 and the tree, and took a little too much stripe, as he went 4.835 on his 4.84 dial.
Phillip Pennington – Box Saturday Winner
In No Box, the start of a trend for the weekend was coming. Travis Lipscomb was faced up with Robby Mullins. Both drivers representing Louisiana, as they race each other regularly on the local bracket tour. Lipscomb was .015 at the tree and went 6.052 on his 6.03 dial for the win, and the $3000 check. Mullins was .031 at the tree and went 5.867 on his 5.85 dial for the runner-up effort.
On Saturday night after the main event races, there was a 32-car shootout in No Box, and a 48 car shootout in Box. There were no buy backs for this race in either class. In the Box class, Luke Bogacki, in the Thisisbracketracing.com Vega entry had not had a good weekend up to this point. However he found himself in the final round, against Michael Keylich out of Texas. Keylich was way late at the tree and went 4.761 on his 4.72 dial. Bogacki was .006 and went 6.260 on his 6.24 dial to pick up the $7500 check Saturday night. In the No Box 32-Car Shootout, Jimmy Hidalgo Jr., out of Donaldsonville, LA would meet Kurt Curole, from Cutoff, LA. Hidalgo put together a 21-thousandths package together for the final round. He was .018, and dead on with a three, to pick up the $2500 check. Curole was .039, and went 6.051 on his 6.05 dial for the runner –up spot.
Jarod Wilson Box Sun Winner
On Sunday, Jared Wilson out of Texas wheeled his roadster to the final, where he was paired up with Scott Marcotte out of Louisiana. In the final, Marcotte was .032 at the tree and went 4.646 on his 4.66 dial. Wilson was .012 and went 5.037 on his 5.02 dial to pick up the $5000 check on Sunday. In the No Box class, it was Robby Mullins and Travis Lipscomb in the final round again. Mullins had both of his entries left at five cars. Lipscomb took out Mullins’ second entry in the quarter-final round. This time Mullins was .005 on the wrong side of tree, turning it red. Lipscomb was .006, and went 6.087 on his 6.08 dial.
Cody Pollage, promoter, and race director of the Southern Big Buck Nationals, would like to thank sponsors for helping make this event possible. They are: Sea Support, The Shop at Deckbar, BTE, E-Z Custom Paint. He would also like to thank every racer for coming out and spending the weekend at the Southern Big Buck Nationals. A date will be released after summer 2015 for the 3rd Annual Southern Big Buck Nationals which will once again be held at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, LA.
